Dane Swan: My Story

Dane Swan is a Brownlow medallist, three-time Copeland Trophy winner, premiership player and five-time All Australian.

The road to success has been an impressive journey for this AFL player. A laid-back knockabout who loves a party. Swan is the son of VFA legend Billy Swan and grew up in Broadmeadows, also where Eddie McGuire famously comes from. Both have gone on to climb to the top of their professions and both are at Collingwood.read more

Dane Swan is a Brownlow medallist, three-time Copeland Trophy winner, premiership player and five-time All Australian.

The road to success has been an impressive journey for this AFL player. A laid-back knockabout who loves a party. Swan is the son of VFA legend Billy Swan and grew up in Broadmeadows, also where Eddie McGuire famously comes from. Both have gone on to climb to the top of their professions and both are at Collingwood.

Swan was number 58 pick in the National draft of 2001 and even after four seasons had made little impression at Collingwood. But with the aid of fellow players and coach Mike Malthouse, his natural ability developed and by 2009 he was an All-Australian and people were starting to pay attention to the mid-fielder. In 2010 he was a surprised third in the Brownlow and Leigh Matthews Trophy winner, Jim Stynes medallist, Lou Richards medallist, All-Australian and AFLCA Champion player of the Year. In 2011 the Brownlow went to Dane Swan.

An old-style footballer, Swan works hard and plays hard. He is one of the AFL's most prolific ball winners and has since become recognised as one of the greatest midfielders of the modern era.

In his autobiography, Dane Swan talks about the highs and lows of his AFL career so far. Revealing, fascinating, funny, and brutally honest, this is a must read.

'He’s got an element of danger about him. He’s from Broady, he’s got tatts, he’s got a sense of humour, he’s his own man, he makes blues and he’s sublime on the field.' – Eddie McGuire on Dane Swan

'There are no airs and graces, what you see is what you get. He’s not trying to be someone he’s not and that’s the beauty of Dane Swan. He’s only always been Dane Swan and you either like him, like most people do, or you don’t.' – Liam Pickering

'Swan is the best mid-fielder in the AFL.' – Leigh Matthews

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Dane Swan played 258 games for Collingwood Football Club. He achieved the ultimate team success as a premiership player, and his haul of individual awards is impressive: a Brownlow Medal, three Copeland Trophies, five All Australians, an AFLCA Most Valuable Player award, a Jim Stynes Medal, a couple of Anzac Medals, as well as a swag of top-three finishes in many awards. His unbelievably consistent output meant he averaged 26.85 disposals across